Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that Western countries supported “Crimean platform”to resolve the issue of Crimea by armed means. He spoke about this at big press conference in Moscow.
“And then, under the cover of new weapons systems [могут] push the radicals to resolve issues in the Donbass by armed means and, by the way, in the Crimea. The Crimean platform, why was it supported? [страны Запада]? If “on the sidelines” they say: “Well, okay, with Crimea, everything [решено]”, but no! They are pushing there too, ”Putin said.
On the eve of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov saidthat the official authorities of Ukraine are “pedaling the topic of the Crimea in all seriousness.” Lavrov spoke about the work of the “Crimean Platform”, assessing the results of its activities as “idle talk and shaking the air.”
Formerly the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba in an interview with the TV channel TSN said that the creation of the “Crimean platform” “hit hard” personally for the Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly stated that they intend to seek the return of Crimea under their control through diplomatic means. For this, the first Crimean Platform summit was held.
President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky during the performance in the Verkhovna Rada said that at “For the first time since 2014”, the Crimean Platform discussed the de-occupation of Crimea at the highest international level. According to Zelensky, Crimea has been “returned to the global agenda.”
International platform for the de-occupation of Crimea (“Crimean Platform”)
The International Platform for the De-occupation of Crimea (“Crimean Platform”) is an initiative of the Ukrainian authorities to create a negotiating platform for coordinating the actions of Ukraine and international partners to protect the rights of Crimeans and de-occupy the annexed peninsula.
At the 75th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2020, the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky urged participating countries to join the creation of the platform.
The inaugural summit on the “Crimean Platform” took place in Kiev on August 23, 2021 – to the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence. It was called upon to officially launch an international format on the issue of the de-occupation of Crimea.
43 countries participating in the first Crimean Platform summit signed a joint Declaration with a call to restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine within the internationally recognized borders and said that “Russia will not be able to legitimize the temporary occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol.”
They also confirmed their intentions to use political, diplomatic and restrictive methods to put pressure on Russia to restore Ukraine’s control over the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. Participants called on Russia to join the Crimean Platform and share its goals.
The summit condemned violations of human rights and freedoms on the peninsula, the militarization of Crimea, obstruction of free navigation in the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov, and the resettlement of Russian citizens to Crimea.
Russia protested against the summit. In Moscow, the event was called “sabbath”, “Unfriendly towards Russia” event and threatened its participants with consequences. On August 24, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that the participation of countries and international organizations in the “Crimean Platform” is “an encroachment on the territorial integrity of Russia.”
Shortly before the start of the forum, the Russian authorities imposed personal sanctions against the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Dmitry Kuleba and NSDC Secretary Alexey Danilov.
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